US Midwest still freezing under feet of snow, deadly chill to continue; planes grounded
NEW YORK: Life has been paralysed in the whole of Northeast and Midwest America, battered by a
spine-chilling snow storm last weekend, never seen in the past decades. Most places are buried under feet of
snow. With the strong wind chill forecast to continue for some more days, and negative temperature plummeting
to minus 20 degrees F at many places, more schools and offices might close and many more flights will be
grounded. Three thousand flights were cancelled on weekend. Schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin will remain
closed on Monday also. Already a plane has had a skiding run into snow at JFK airport.
Weather service forewarned of a further nearly one foot of snow in Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky
and Tennessee. Dangerous cold air will blast north-westerly in the coming few days too.
It has never been so cold especially in Washington DC, Wisconsin and Missouri for decades. In most of
Midwest negative temperatures hovered around 20 deg F, a worrisome sign. Meteorologists and doctors have
issued guidelines to take precautionary measures. One exposed to the cold for extended periods in the chill can
develop frostbite and hypothermia, they have warned. One needs to wear several layers of warm clothes to avert
emergencies, they said.
More than 20 states were buried under snow and around 120 million people were affected. Thirteen deaths
were reported. New York, New Jersey and Boston had declared a state of emergency on Friday. Schools were
shut in New York to keep over a million kids stay indoors. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New
Jersey's Chris Christie had ordered Govt offices closed . New Jersey had already closed public schools in
Hoboken and Jersey City. Cuomo ordered closure of three major highways, stretching from Long Island to
Albany.
The lower Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic coast had nearly 2 feet of snow. Northern Pennsylvania, New
York, New Jersey, New England, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Providence and Boston were
badly slammed by the storm. The National Weather Service had forecast much of the Northeast would see
heavy snowfall on Thursday and Friday. The storm crossed New York City on Friday to move onto New
England.
